This dissertation consists of a philological and philosophical exploration of the Guiguzi ___. It establishes the sinological background of the text through a detailed contextual study and locates Master Guigu in the Chinese intellectual tradition. Guiguzi is the legendary transmitter of the Sunzi bingfa (ÒArt of WarÓ) tradition, said to have bestowed his text upon Sun Bin. The research reveals that the Book of Master Guigu conceives a comprehensive Òart of persuasionÓ by promoting an unassuaging efficacy within an early Daoist cosmological framework. [Hardcover reprint from a new scan of the 2000 edition]